An excerpt from Atiku's interrview
The Senate conducted a public hearing on privatisation under my leadership as the chairman of the National Council on Privatisation. That was the best opportunity for those accusing me of selling public assets to myself to come forward to prove the allegation. Surprisingly, they never did because they relied mainly on hearsay. A cabinet member in Obasanjo's government, who was promoting this idle rumour, was eventually left looking small because he didn't have the facts to substantiate his allegations against me.

On Pentascope, one would have expected your paper to direct the questions to El-Rufai himself. The Pentascope scandal was one of the issues investigated by the National Assembly and it accused El-Rufai of ignoring wise counsel by imposing the company on NITEL. Despite proven allegations that Pentascope was not financially capable and technically competent to handle NITEL management contract, the former Bureau of Public Enterprise Director-General ignored public outcry and forced the Dutch company on NITEL. Before the coming of Pentascope, NITEL was making an estimated N100bn profit annually. However, as soon as Pentascope took over, NITEL's profits were nose-diving incredibly. With telecom stakeholders, the National Assembly and the Nigerian public insisting that the imposition of Pentascope on NITEL was ruinous to national interest, the Federal Government eventually cancelled the management contract against El-Rufai's desire. I had no hand, absolutely, no connection or knowledge of how that company was brought into Nigeria.  Curiously, El-Rufa'i avoided the Pentascope issue in his book, "The Accidental Public Servant." Therefore, if there is anybody to explain the details of the Pentascope scandal, it is El-Rufai himself. The fact of the contract are like this: Obasanjo agreed with the NCP that the former BPE DG was wrong not to have disclosed his interest and that he had failed the test of transparency by not disclosing that his brother was on the board of Motorola. I know you are very familiar with the laws of the federation. You know, for instance, that it is a very serious offence to fail, refuse or neglect to disclose your interest whether directly or through someone else, in dealing with such an important transaction. But, the President in his wisdom decided that the contract be split into three, with each of the contenders, Motorola, Ericsson and the Chinese company – I think Huawei – taking a portion. As if to vindicate the NCP, by 2007 when we left office, the two others apart from Motorola had completed their own contracts. You can go and find out if they (Motorola) have finished.

El-Rufai, has challenged you to explain what happened with the NITEL GSM contract that Motorola lost to Ericson, despite the American company submitting the lowest bid? What is your explanation?

Personally, I dislike the idea of exchanging words with the former FCT minister over this issue. But for the sake of your question, I would like Nigerians to be smart enough to read between the lines. Why does the former FCT minister treat the Motorola issue with such persistent personal bitterness? Why is he making it a heavy matter? Anybody can play to the gallery and deceive the people. Transparency is a key issue of conducting any business, including privatisation. Conflict of interest is inconsistent with transparency. If you are a privatisation head and you have a relationship with a particular person connected with one of the companies making bids, it is a moral and legal duty to disclose that relationship or interest. Pretending that you have no relationship with the person who is rooting for a particular bidder is not altogether tidy and transparent. If he had no interest in a particular company for sentimental reasons, why is he making too much fuss about Motorola losing the bid? Did El-Rufai accuse me of promoting Ericsson because I had any connection with the company directly or indirectly? If, indeed, I had promoted Ericsson for personal interest, Obasanjo wouldn't have let me get away with it. He would have exposed me and disgraced me, and even ordered my prosecution.

http://mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/obasanjo-el-rufai-and-i-atiku/

Smh....

Oga Atiku, u ppl shld start posting videos of unaselves dragging very heavy 'ghana-must-go' bags ladden wt money after d usual loot sharing sessions at night on youtube. At least, we deserve d honour of watchn, since we cnt partake in d sharing of what belongs to all us.
No amount of denials or prevarications will stop us, d masses, from thinking dat all politicians are corrupt.
I'd have bn a happier man, if this interview were conducted from within d 4 walls of a maximum penitentiary whr Atiku is an inmate.

Elrufai and corruption are synonymous. Thank U Atiku for this ugly revelations. He is busy parading himself as a saint, yet na him bad pass.

^
Revelation from Atiku or a counter accusation? Atiku is a confirmed thief so he can say anything to cover his a$$. Rufai is no saint either.

Beaf!:
^
Revelation from Atiku or a counter accusation? Atiku is a confirmed thief so he can say anything to cover his a$$. Rufai is no saint either.

Revelation, cos I'm beginning to wonder why the PENTASCOPE saga had no place in the Accidental Public Servant. Now Elrufai is planning to write d second book. This will be to cover him nyash